Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio

“We really do have a lot of responsibility and culpability,” says one hospital official who is part of a working group trying to address the opioid epidemic. Patients have to expect more pain after surgery and understand the risk of addiction, says another doctor.

In Tennessee, an Obamacare consumer saw her rate go from $750 to just $5 a month. But a man in Maryland had to buy a less comprehensive plan to keep his costs under $1,000 a month. Income and geography determine prices for health insurance in the fifth year of Affordable Care Act coverage.

Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio

Blake Farmer covers health care in Nashville, reporting on the region's unique health challenges as well as the city's concentration of health care companies. He's been with Nashville Public Radio since 2007 where his stories are often picked up for national broadcast.